Cabinet



May 5, 1953 w. E.l THEOBAITD 2,637,615

CABINET Filed Feb. 6, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET l IN V EN TOR.

INVEN TOR.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 In... .Illll II W. E; TH EOBALD CABINET May 5, 1953 Filed Feb. 6, 1952 /IAI Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE anions; osnvcr Wilbert E. Theobald, Peru, Ind., assigner to Standard Cabinet Manufacturing Company Ine, Peru, 1nd-,r a corporation of Indiana..

Application February 6, 1952,` Serial No, 210,164

(i Claims. (Cl. S12-276) 'This invention relates to an article ofiumituro of the cabinet type for enclosingr an apparatus., such, for example, as an ironer, a sewing me chine, or any other device,

As such, an object of the invention is to provide in such cabinet a stationary Work-ing table. or partition on which the apparatus mounted and to associate with this partition side wall sections which, vupon movement of a top Wall to a position extensive with the back Wall f the cabinet, are moved into a position extensive with the work table or partition, thereby to provide working shelves automatically movable from and into Closed position upon openinsv and closing movement of the top wall of the cabinet,

Another and equally important object oi the invention is the provision of a cabinet having, in addition to the features above referred to, a lower compartment which may have ooniined therein shelves or drawers and which will provide a space for the needs of the .operator when the cabinet is arranged with its parte in closed position for Working or operating nurposes of the apparatus mounted upon the work table or partition.

Yet another and equally important object of the invention is to provide a cabinet having in addition to the above features an exterior dressing which will provide, when the cabinet is in closed condition, a neat and pleasing appearance.

Other objects vvill appear hereinafter.

. The invention consists in the :novel combination and arrangement of; parte to be hereinafter den scribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by .reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fie. 1 is a perspective view oi the invention:

Fig, 2 is a perspective rear View of the cabinet shown in Fig. l illustrating certain parte thereof in partially extended position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner portion of the cabinet illustrated in Figli. 1, looking from the rear thereof;

Fis. Y4: is a fragmentary lperse.estive view Vof suon corner, showing certain parte thereof in extended position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-f-5 of 3';

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary sectional detti-,il View taken substantially on line .of Fig. 4:,

-I prefer to .accomplish toe several objects oi my invention by the preferred `forro oi construe tion which il have illustrated in the .atcoriipanvE ins drawings;v in this Connection the article of 2 furniture embody-ing my invention comprises a. cabinet il) havingA a back wall l I, side walls l2, a front Awall i3, and a top wall i4.

The cabi-net lil is divided into an `upper com.- partment l5 and a lower compartment I6. The lower compartment may have arranged therein along the opposite side Wal-ls l2, shelves or dravve ers, leaving the central or middle portion of the compartment unobstructed for' the accommode tion of the knees of a person sitting in front of the cabinet l0 when the parts of the cabinet to be presently described are in extended condition.

The upper and lower compartments l5 and I8 are separated by a Work table or partition l1 se.- curecl in any suitable `manner to the hack `vvall Il and to the side Walls l2. 0n this table Il ,may be arranged an apparatus .such as an ironing mechanism, sewing machine, vor the like.

The front wall is .divided .into an upper portion it and a low-er portion i8.. the lower portion I9 of the front wail i3 comprising two doors 20 hint-fed as at 2! to the side Walls l2, The upper portion i8 of the iront wall is hinged along its ton edge 212 by means of hinges 23 to one edge 24 of the top wall I4. This upper seo-tion is provided with handles. 25' which. facilitate manip-y ulating the upper por-tion i8 lor the front wall i3 when the parte of the cabinet are in extended position. The top wall at its edge 2li opposite the edee V'it is hinged as at 26 to the top edge of the back wall H.

Slide plates 2l are arranged in elongated slots 28 tormed in the back, wall It, .As Shownthe longitudinal edges oli these slide plates project into grooves 2l provided bv the back Wall li. These slide pla-tes are of a length less than the length .of the slots 26 for reasons to be presently understood. Eloneeted links 29 pivotally connect the too wall t4 to .the too portion of. the slide plates 2l, These liniey members have lateral extensions 30 providing bolt openings 3l,

The side walls l2 have upper portions or sections 32 which are hinged as at 33 to the wort: table Il. These side sections 32 have correspond ine edge portions by means of arms 34 connetted through slot and :ein connections t5 to the lower edge portions 3.6 or the .slide plates 2l.

Spring members 31 are provided, and these spring members are associated with the arms 34 in a `z nanrler such that they iunotiou to `maintain the side Wall sections 32 either closed or ex tended position with respect to the table Il.

To complete 'the invention, i :provide latehbolts `it. which are carried by the-top wall I4, These `:it latch 'bolts -38 are .normally ioroed away from each other by means of a spring 39 arranged between the bearings 40 which provide connection between the bolts and the top I4. The rounded end portions 4I of these bolts are adapted to project into the bolt openings 3i when the top i4 is in extended position with respect to the back wall II.

To arrange the parts in extended position by moving the top wall I4 about its hinge connection 26 with the back wall I I, the links 29 during such movement will act upon the slide plates 21, moving the slide plates upwardly in their respective slots 28. Simultaneously with this movement of the slide plates, the side wall sections 32 will be pivoted upwardly and downwardly about their hinged connections 33 with the work table wall I1 is arranged in extensive relation with the back wall I I, the work table I1 will be exposed and the side wall sections 32 will be disposed in an extensive relation with respect to the work table I1, thereby providing working ex-l tensions of the table I1. The operator by opening the doors 20 may position herself comfortably close to the cabinet to perform work by means of the apparatus positioned on the work table I1. In such position, her knees will nd accommodation Within the lower compartment I6.

To move the parts into closed position with respect to each other, the operator disengages the bolts 38 from the link connection 29 by moving the bolts 38 toward each other, there being provided for this purpose finger extensions 38'. These bolts 38 by reason of their rounded heads 4I automatically are projected by the springs 39 into the openings 3| as and when such openings are moved into alignment with such bolts.

While I have shown one form of latching the extended parts in one position, it is clearly obvious that other forms may be applied without departing from the invention.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have provided an article of furniture which will be highly useful for the purposes herein contemplated and which when in closed position will provide an article of furniture which has an appearance pleasing to the eye.

The article of furniture comprises relatively few parts, thereby enabling economical manufacture.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth. but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections, a top wall normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet, means for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall for said movement, means for hinging the upper CTI The arrangement is such that when the top I front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections, means for hinging the upper of said sections to the side edge portions of said partition. and means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge con nection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top wall.

2. An article of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections, a top wall normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet, means for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall for said movement. means for hinging the upper front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections, means for hinging the upper of said sections to the side edge portions of said partition, means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge connection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top wall, and spring means acting on said upper sections to hold said upper sections in either their extended or closed position relative to said partition.

3. An atricle of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections. a top wall normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet. means for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall for said movement, means for hinging the upper front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections. means for hinging the upper of said sections to the side edge portions of said partition, means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge connection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top wall, and latch means for releasably latching said top wall in said extensive position with respect to said back wall.

4. An article of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections, a top wail normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet, means for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall i'or said movement, means for hingng the upper front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections, means for hinging the upper of said sections to the side edge portions of said partition, means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge connection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top Wall, spring means acting on said upper sections to hold said upper sections in either their extended or closed position relative to said partition, and latch means for releasably latching said top wall in said extensive position with respect to said back wall.

5. An article of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections, a top wall normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet, means for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall for said movement, means for hinging the upper front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back Wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections, means for hinging the upper of said sections to the side edge portions oi said partition, and means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge connection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top wall, said link connections providing latchbolt openings midway between their end portions, and latchbolts carried by said top wall and adapted for engagement with said bolt openings when said top wall is disposed in said extensive position With respect to said back wall.

6. An article of furniture comprising a cabinet, a stationary partition arranged in said cabinet in a substantially horizontal plane and dividing the same into an upper and lower compartment, said cabinet having a front wall divided into sections, a top Wall normally disposed in a substantially horizontal plane and movable from said plane to a position extensive with the back wall of the cabinet, means :for hinging the top wall at one edge thereof to the back wall for said movement, means for hinging the upper front wall section to an edge of the top wall opposite said one edge, a pair of slide members carried by the back wall for vertical movement relative thereto, link connections between the slide members and said top wall for moving the slide members relative to the back Wall when said top wall is moved to said extensive position with said back wall, said cabinet having side walls divided into upper and lower sections, means for hingng the upper of said sections to the side edge portions of said partition, means providing connection between said upper sections and said slide members, whereby said upper sections will pivot about their hinge connection with said partition by movement of said slide members when the latter are moved relative to said back wall by movement of said top wall, and spring means acting on said upper sections to hold said upper sections in either their extended or closed position relative to said partition, said link connections providing latchbolt openings midway between their end portions, and latch bolts carried by said top Wall and adapted for engagement with said bolt openings when said top wall is disposed in said extensive position with respect to said back wall.

WILBERT E. THEOBALD.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 326,248 Roth Sept. 15, 1885 1,943,282 Bellavia Jan. 16, 1934 

